Lincoln MKZ Concept

Big Changes Coming for Lincoln Midsizer - And the Brand Itself

It's no secret Lincoln has been floundering for several years, with a lineup of products that are little more than tarted-up Fords. But with a hip new design team in place and a reported $1 billion pledged to fix its ailing luxury brand, Ford is confident it can reverse the slide.

The revival was launched in November, when Lincoln showed the restyled MKS sedan and MKT crossover at the Los Angeles auto show. And now, at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Lincoln is rolling out the MKZ Concept, a future vision Ford is trumpeting as the vanguard for the brand's resurgence."With the Lincoln MKZ Concept, we are not introducing a new car. We are essentially introducing a new brand," proclaimed Ford global product kingpin Derrick Kuzak in the statement announcing the MKZ Concept. "The MKZ Concept is the next step in the reinvention of Lincoln, something we've been quietly, but aggressively pursuing." Bold words indeed, Derrick. It remains to be seen if Ford's new approach will resonate with the discerning luxury crowd.
The MKZ Concept features a revamped version of Lincoln's bold dual-opening front grille that the automaker says is a more refined interpretation of the split-wing mug from the iconic 1938 Lincoln-Zephyr, with horizontal bars replacing the classic car's vertical slats. A single piece of chrome wraps around each grille and headlamp flank, and both the front headlamps and the full-width taillamps employ LED technology.

Not surprisingly, the MKZ Concept features the type of long, sweeping, coupe-like roofline that's trendy these days in sedan design. Lincoln says the roofline lends the MKZ a more flowing, elegant, and aerodynamic shape. A panoramic glass roof opens up the cabin, extending from the top of the windshield to the top of rear window and spanning the entire width between the side roof rails. The body is finished in a special, cognac-colored hue."The MKZ Concept's shape is a vision of simplicity completed with just a few strokes," said Max Wolff, Lincoln's design director and the man in charge of the stroking, in a release announcing the MKZ concept. "Our movement as a brand is toward something we call elegant simplicity. It's something warmer and more restrained, which is moving away from complex designs and traditional luxury."

The Lincoln MKZ Concept is reportedly underpinned by an all-new midsize platform (no doubt a version of the new Fusion's underpinnings) that supports front- and all-wheel drive configurations. The concept's aluminum and boron steel chassis is larger than the current production MKZ -- wheelbase is up 4.8 inches, now at 112.2; overall length is up 4.3 for a total of 194.1 inches nose to tail; and width is up 1.2 inches, now at 73.4. Height remains unchanged at 59.6 inches. The car rolls on concept-style, oversized 20-inch wheels with low profile 245/35 tires.

No word on powertrain configurations yet, but we can assume the production version of the MKZ will employ at least one four-cylinder option from the Ford engine portfolio, although given Ford's drive to differentiate Lincoln from Ford brand products, we'd be stunned if the MKZ doesn't come with a V-6 of some type. A hybrid version is no doubt in the cards.On the inside, Lincoln says the MKZ's cabin uses "responsibly harvested poplar wood," bright- and satin-finished aluminum trim, and champagne-colored leather seating. The seats are set off with dark taupe accents featuring a "champagne perforation pattern" on the seatbacks. The perforation pattern gets its name because the perforations on the seat backs are supposed to "conjure up the image of champagne bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass."A full-length center console limits seating to four, but visual and actual space has been increased thanks to the tiered center console and redesigned dashboard. In front of the driver sits a reconfigurable 10.1-inch TFT LCD screen that displays vehicle information as well as Sync and MyLincoln Touch. A flush-mounted 8-inch LCD touch screen is mounted in the center console.

"The front graphic is repeated in the dramatic sweep of the instrument panel, helping tie the interior to the exterior," said Wolff. "These flowing forms create a comfortable and functional interior that particularly appeals to the younger, more diverse customers we are targeting."A highlight of the cockpit is the car's electronic shift actuation setup, in which lighted pushbuttons are pressed to select and change transmission gears, a neat old-school touch. The automaker said the design helped reduce overall vehicle weight and opened up more design possibilities for the center console.The MKZ Concept also makes use of Lincoln Drive Control, its Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) adjustable suspension, and Ford's Lane Keeping System, also found on the new MKS and MKT.Although the production model is bound to differ, the concept is believed to be a fairly accurate representation of the styling and direction of Lincoln's new entry-level sedan, and of Lincoln itself. Will the MKZ help save the brand? We'll find out soon enough.

Lincoln and this vehicle is just a substitute for a Buick, not a real world contender. Its laughable that the head of Design, J. Mays, approved this hilarious Aurora rear end and the Groucho Marx facial...anybody interested in the moustache design theme, Mardi Gras is coming soon!

For the this MKZ it all comes down to the one missing variable. The Powertrain... Side note: Lincoln needs to make a four door / two door , V6 / V8, RWD (AWD optional?) performance luxury car based off the mustang platform to compete with Cadillac, specifically the CTS and CTS-V.This car would also have to compete with the larger German luxury / performance cars Lincoln needs a flagship car... right now they dont have one...

Looks like a Volvo on steroids with a tinge of Audi. When will the designers at Lincoln hire someone with creative vision and a sense of style instead of their normal mid-century design inspiration???? This copy of a Volvo design is not creative, nor will it inspire anyone to open their wallets and buy one.

It's great to see that FoMoCo is trying hard to revive the Lincoln name. My uncle owned a Lincoln-Mercury dealership when I was growing up and I always got excited when a model change came 'round. But this car does not excite me, despite the fact that it has more presence than the current MKZ(zzzzz). The front reminds me of a 2003 Pontiac Sunbird and the rear a 2012 Dodge Charger. The interior is better, but again, breaks no new ground and it has that horrible MyLincoln Touch system. Ford should take a cue from BMW's early iDrive problems and either revise it or trash it and start over.I would like to see a two-door coupe return to the model lineup (MKIV?). Give it gorgeous styling, the EcoBoost V-6, AWD, and offer a high performance V-8 model. The chassis and engine/powertrains could be shared with the Mustang to save costs. Bring back a designer edition by Givenchy or Cartier. If Fiat can offer a Gucci model with the 500 why can't Lincoln do something similar to add an element of exclusivity?

For a long time, I have been more than vocal on the ugly and uninspired designs of Lincoln vehicles but I have to say this reiteration of the MKZ is kind of sexy. I would definitely consider it if I was looking for a new car when it comes out.

having sold lincolns for year, it is really nice to see FMC committing to a specific design language direction for the Lincoln brand. For too long, it simply hasn't had an identity of its own, and althoughthe move away from the Towncar crowd was a needed one, the jump/transition wasn't great enough. Lincoln needs to have different everything from its Ford Siblings.

This concept looks fantastic both inside and out. Unfortunately, Ford is doing everything in their power to scare away the customers that they desperately want to attract. Nobody wants a FWD car. The only reason FWD exists is to save money. Period. If you want to resurrect the brand, start building something worth buying. Lincoln is dying because BMW's, Audi's, Mercedes', and Cadillac's look, sound and drive better. This new concept finally has the looks to make it a contender. It needs a proper RWD chassis and a range of good engines. If Ford doesn't make good on driving dynamics, this car and Lincoln will fail.

Wow !!! As a ford guy I have been waiting for something from lincoln that I would LIKE to drive and LIKE to be seen driving. MKZ thank you now I can stop considering a cadillac if I want sporty American luxury.

This thing is even shorter in length and wheelbase than the Taurus---which itself is smaller than the mid-sized cars Ford used to make. I guess it's hard to look at if you remember Lincolns as spacious, roomy cars that didn't look like every other car.

If the Fusion is a world-class car from top to bottom and the MKZ offers a monstrous V6 and fantastic 7, 8, or 9-speed transmission and it looks like this, can it really be that bad even if it is a reskinned, larger Fusion? I don't think so.This is the first Lincoln I have seen in years that I am actually impressed with the design. I LOVE the grille. I thought Ford forgot how to design a nice looking grille. Seriously...Anyhow, I think the interior is nice, but holy cow, how many buttons can you possibly put in a car? Lincoln better simplify that mess fast. Lincoln's strong suit is interiors, but I don't really like this one. It looks cheap for an expensive luxury car. I fully expect his to change given how most concept cars have questionable interiors that change 85% before the final car is released.Overall, I am impressed. Lincoln cannot afford to give warmed-over mechanicals and get a pass.

LOVE!! the interior. The rear end looks unbelievable. The front is great. The only grip i have is the front grille. When you split the grille like that along with some curves; in my mind, it looks like a car with a handle bar mustache..lol. However, given time, I think people will accept it as it is a Lincoln signature design. You can look back at all the previous Lincoln. They all feature a large "whale" grillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_%28automobile%29

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous car. The roofline is longer and sleeker than the Fusion, so there is no "rebadge" issue I had with the past generation fusion and MKZ. The profile is dead on sexy and looks sleeker than anything in its class. That new grill and the narrow headlights are really well done and I love the rear end. The interior is also beautiful and given the new technology that will be available, i'd say that Lincoln is well on its way to recovery. I'll be seriously looking at this car when it comes to market.

Me likes. Looks like a Lincoln version of an Audi A7. I can see the Fusion roots of this thing, but there really isn't a way to avoid that. It's a common problem for platform sharing lines like Acura/Honda, Infiniti/Nissan, and Audi/VW.

This car is stunning, inside and out!!The grill is classy and rich without being overwrought like Lexus, Acura, Hyundai-Genesis, Buick or Mercedes (especially the coupes) or Boring like BMW, Cadillac, or Audi (which needs dazzling lights to distract from the unimaginative designs).The design language is classy and attractive, so are the materials from what i can see. I think this a great design with which to relaunch Lincoln. Two thumbs up!!(31y/o Audi owner and enthusiast here from NYC. Screw the rest of these haters, go Lincoln!!)

The front grille looks better, still weird, and still looking after market, but having seen the new Fusion you can tell this is just a rebadge job. Pretty soon this will be gone unless they get actually different vehicles than rebadged Fords.

Way to go Lincoln! Finally, a gorgeous, simply, elegant design that manages to integrate the signature grill successfully. This is much better than the over-angled, busy crap that Cadillac has been pedaling as advanced design for the last few years. It will be interesting to see the final product and how it performs on the road.Hateless in Seattle,Stephen

just wow this thing clearly is on the same platform as the new fusion even shares some body lines. otherwise its just ugly if someone ever tried to convince to buy this over say a cts 5 series or e class id probably bitch slap them into next month

haters are always hateing but sorry this thing is sexy looks better then BMW for sure id take one maybe two and this just a concept not the full look.. the front end looks alot better then the others but i liked the grill on the first mkx better should of threw that on there

Not sure about the front end, but impressive overall. Looks like it should be full size. I like the interior too, but they need to move the shifter back to the center console. What remains to be seen is rather the engine options are weak like the new Fusion.